With the worldwide launch of Bravely Default 2, many players may be wondering how many hours it will take for them to complete the game. While the length of the game may pale in comparison to JRPG juggernauts like Persona 5, completing Bravely Default 2 will be no short task.
As Bravely Default 2 reviews continue to roll in, several critics have praised the game for its engrossing story, unique combat system, and beautiful environments. However, one point of contention for many critics seems to be the amount of grinding required to complete the game.
In the Bravely Default franchise, players don't earn XP to level their characters like they would in most JRPGs. Instead, players in Bravely Default 2 earn job points which are used to significantly increase party members' abilities throughout the game. This grind is somewhat alleviated by the game's unique combat system which allows players to speed up battles (up to 4x) and even contains an auto-battle function that allows the player's party members to repeat the same round of action.
Players can expect to complete Bravely Default 2's campaign in approximately 60 hrs. However, much of the playtime is padded out with the aforementioned required grinding to level up character jobs. By comparison, the first Bravely Default took approximately 55 hrs to complete and the game's confusingly named sequel - Bravely Second: End Layer - took approximately 40 hours to complete.
With a length that surpasses both previous titles in the series, fans of Bravely Default will have no shortage of content as they explore the continent of Excillant. However, for players that are put off by required grinding, it is unlikely that Bravely Default 2 will do anything to sway their opinion on the mechanic.
The issue of required grinding is a hotly contentious subject in the JRPG community. While several mainstream JRPG's such as the Persona and Final Fantasy series have gradually moved away from this gameplay mechanic in their latest entries, titles such as Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler - which serve more as homages to traditional JRPGs - continue to implement them.
However, players should note that despite the valid criticism of padding out game length through grinding, much of the tedium of the mechanic is alleviated by the Nintendo Switch platform. Due to the portability of the system, players can grind experience with the system undocked without having to pay much attention to the action on the screen.
Overall, fans of traditional JRPG's have plenty to be excited about with the launch of Bravely Default 2 and for those gamers who are looking for a shorter less grind-centric experience, there's always Persona 5 Strikers.
Bravely Default 2 launches on February 26th as a Nintendo Switch exclusive.